it. From a state of trial evil is inseparable. To deny, or to extenuate the power of evil, is as wrong and as imprudent as to magnify it. Do not let us, in the spirit of the self-indulgent scepticism of the present day, explain away the existence of our spiritual adversary, the devil; and regard him as a mere impersonal quality or abstract notion. But let us regard him, as he is represented in the pages of Scripture, as an Evil Being, a person, powerful, intelligent, watchful, malicious, hating what is good, polluting what is holy, corrupting what is pure, sowing tares among the wheat,2 marring, where he can, God's works, even as there are in this world around us many men of so fiendish a disposition as to delight apparently in evil, and occupy themselves continually in promulgating sin and misery; let us regard Satan as the prime mover and master of these wretched men, seeking in various ways to deceive and destroy us; let us think on him, his power and malice, and let us tremble. But let us think also on Him who is stronger than the evil one, and is ever ready to aid and to save us. Let us remember that God, our merciful Father, has declared that 'He will not suffer us to be tempted beyond what we are able, but will, with the temptation, also make a way to escape, that we may be able to bear it.' Let us put our whole trust in Christ, the Seed of the woman, the Bruiser of the serpent's head, Himself the Van

2 Sewell's Christian Morals.

quisher of Satan's power, and able therefore to save us. Let us think on the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life, who has once already made His dwelling in our hearts, and will, if we walk by His guidance, keep from us the power of the tempter, and preserve us in purity and holiness. And amidst the conflicting elements which exist in the world around us, amongst the perplexities and difficulties of our present state, let us be sure of this one fact—that our final destiny is placed in our own hands-good and evil, heaven and hell, life and death, are placed before us; let us choose life."

In words like these did the worthy pastor, kindling with his subject, and uninterrupted by his hearer, vindicate the honour of God from such objections as the malicious ingenuity of the devil or man had raised against it, and endeavour to remove the stains of doubt and unbelief, which, in its wayward course, the soul of his companion had contracted. Lever listened with earnest deference; the enthusiasm of the speaker rivetted his attention; and when he paused for a moment, Lever remained silent, as if desiring to hear farther, and having nothing to offer in reply. Mr. Morton, finding that he made no answer, proceeded in a different train of thought.

"I have said what I was able to remove the difficulties which you have brought forward, simply because they were such as you said perplexed your mind. But allow me now to add, that the real difficulty is yet untouched. The real difficulty is

what perhaps you do not suspect. It is a moral difficulty, not metaphysical. It is in the heart, not in the head. You will never be relieved from your present perplexities by argument. But I will tell you how you may be relieved, and that certainly. First, LEAVE Off sin. Sin is the real obstacle. You must at once give up whatsoever known and habitual sin besets you. [Lever unconsciously covered his face with his hands, and shrunk beneath the earnest appeal of the speaker.] Until a man has put from him the accursed thing, the guilt of known sin, he can make no progress in faith or holiness. It is a great step when that is done. Yet much will remain afterwards. You must pray earnestly for enlightenment and grace. You must pray both in your closet

and in God's house. You must read and meditate on God's gracious revelation, and endeavour to accustom your mind to regard what is therein written as actual and real; to learn to think on heaven and hell, eternity, redemption, the omnipresence of God, the proffered aid of sanctification by the Spirit, the real efficacy of prayer, these, and other revealed truths, you must accustom yourself to regard as practical and all-important facts. To this end, also, a constant recurrence to the Church's ordinances, and especially to the holy communion, is an appointed means of contributing. Thus you should surround yourself with an atmosphere of faith and holy thoughts, and accustom yourself to acts of selfdenial and obedience; and all these difficulties, which

now perplex you, will appear as nothing. You will no longer regard them; or you will view them only as the evidences that God's ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts than our thoughts."

Mr. Morton here ceased to speak, thinking that what he had already said might be sufficient for the present. Lever said little in reply. He did not attempt to controvert what had been advanced. He thanked Mr. Morton for his advice, and hoped that he might benefit by it. Mr. Morton assured him at parting, that he should consider it a pleasure, as well as a duty, to converse with him again at any future time; and Lever departed, with thoughtful and downcast looks.

For several days he remained in the same perplexed mood. The Sunday came, and Mr. Morton cast his eye around his congregation, hoping that Lever would have been amongst them. But he was

There

not there. Neither was he with Socialists. was, in truth, at this period of Lever's life a mystery about his conduct, which we will not now unravel. Suffice it to say, that he had not yet brought himself even to take the preliminary step which Mr. Morton had plainly told him was necessary to remove his difficulties. No wonder if we shall still find him unable to extricate himself from the schemes of evil and designing men.

ABOUT this time an event occurred at Laxington which must be recorded, both because it is strongly indicative of the fearful extent of evil principle which pervaded the working classes, and also because our hero was, to a certain degree, implicated in it.

Owing to a scarcity of business, the masterjoiners in the town had found it absolutely necessary to reduce the rate of their workmen's weekly wages from a guinea to eighteen shillings. This of course caused great discontent; and a general strike amongst them was the consequence. For some time all work was at a stand, neither masters nor men being inclined to give way; and much loss resulted to both parties from this intermission of employment. At last one of the master-builders, being in the midst of an undertaking which he was obliged by contract to complete within a given time, engaged several labourers to work for him from an adjoining district. These men soon found their new quarters any thing but agreeable, being subject to constant abuse and ill-treatment from the "turn-outs," and being threat